shadowrun_azaniafandomcom-20200214-history
Life in the Cape
City of Good Hope Travelling to Cape Town By Air The most common method of travelling to Cape Town from outside Azania is by air through the Van Niekerk International Airport, one of the biggest air traffic hubs in Africa. Flights arrive here from all corners of the world, though most commonly from European nations, China and the UCAS. Though this is the only airport open to civilians, the Azanian military has several smaller airfields outside Cape Town for cargo and other aircraft. By Land Though once a common way to enter Cape Town, the road system across Azania has suffered greatly in the past few decades, and only three main ways into Cape Town remain, all of them in use since the times of South Africa. A freeway leads North, the war-torn remains of National Road N7, which leads as far as Angola. Two other freeways lead East and South - the N1 and N2. '''The N1 serves as a direct road from Cape Town to Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vaal, and the '''N2 winds around the coast and into the Zulu Nation and New Hlobane. Recently, the N7 '''and '''N3 have been subject to checkpoints and patrols from both security forces and the Azanian military in order to reduce possible threats to Cape Town security from Angolan and Zulu extremists. By Sea Cape Town's port remains one of the most active in Africa, despite it's restructuring, and continues to service a constant influx of passenger and cargo ships from all over the world. The passenger and cargo sections of the harbor are segregated by security walls due to crime concerns. Visitors to Cape Town must pass the Port Authority Complex and have their transit or entry documents checked and updated before entering the city. Getting around in Cape Town Pedestrian Getting around Cape Town by foot is not difficult, as most of the metropolitan area is flat, however, the central districts have many sloping areas that can turn a short walk into an hour of struggling uphill. In addition, some areas allow the practice of vertical movement, also called "parkour", though this practice is forbidden in the central districts so as to maintain order. If you intend to practice it, check the local security ordnances using your commlink or access them from a Matrix terminal. Outside the central districts, it is not recommended to walk by yourself and, preferably, you should try to keep to groups and stay in locations with a greater security presence. Despite the low rate of crime in the central districts, the Outer Metropolis and especially the Fringe are considered dangerous. Always remember to stay in range of security personnel if possible! Public transit Public transit is handled primarily by two major companies - AZ MetroRail and CT Transit. One of the most common forms of transport is the Metrorail, a series of rapid-transit aboveground and underground trains that connect various districts of cape town with one another. While not always comfortable, often cheap and allow for purchase of weekly, monthly and yearly tickets at reduced price. Due to some issues with the infrastructure, delays are quite common. CT Transit is the largest bus company, operating Golden Arrow and CiTi buses. Golden Arrow was one of Cape Town's oldest transport companies before being absorbed into CT Transit and has autonomy to run it's own routes. CiTi, along with Via Zulu and Rea Vya in the New Hlobane and Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vaal, is a rapid-transit buses known for efficient bus routes that cover Cape Town's busiest areas, optimized for shortest routes from point to point. Independent bus companies also operate in Cape Town, though they are typically small and only operate within one or several districts. Car Central Cape Town has, in recent years, fully gridded it's most important and traffic-heavy streets, and government plans predict the central districts to be fully gridded by mid-2076. Electric cars make up the bulk of the traffic, followed by more traditional vehicles, though those are most common in the Outer Metropolis. Taxis and taxi vans are another common sight in Cape Town and though more expensive than other forms of transportation, they are not so expensive as to be unaffordable. While the most comfortable taxis are only available in the central districts, taxi vans and meter taxis can be found in the Outer Districts and even the Fringe as well. The largest cab companies in Cape Town are CiTi Cabs, OCC or Orion Cab Company, Cape Town Taxi Company and Uber2, the evolution of the Uber service, which can be initiated quickly from your commlink and deducts fares immediately from your account, using optimized routes for quick transportation anywhere in Cape Town, except for the Fringe. Ferry Ferry services to Robben Island are operated strictly by Wyk-Krueger Security and require security clearance, identification and a filled out travel application that has been approved by Wyk-Krueger management. Air Several air transport services are operated in Cape Town, primarily between the airport and various corporate and government workplaces. While expensive, they offer the fastest service and the best views of Cape Town. Tilt-rotor and VTOL aircraft are rare, primarily utilized by DeBeers and other hugely influential corporations, but helicopter services are available from Van Niekerk Intenrational Airport for anyone willing to pay. Law Enforcement The Azanian government is in control of most local law enforcement, with only the most important sections of the city being contracted to Wyk-Krueger Security to ensure excellent coverage. All Cape Town residents within the Outer Metropolis or Central Districts area are encouraged to fill in their own profile with the Cape Town Metropolitan Police Service. Police officers can be called to an area by direct calls or via commlink and public emergency terminal. Private security is handled by a number of different companies, most prominently Wyk-Krueger Security, who have taken large portions of the region over from the well-liked, but under-performing, Centurion industries, former contract holders for much of Cape Town's outer districts. Other private security firms in the area are Sternschutz, De Maas-Waker and Ifrit Services. Visitors to Cape Town should be mindful of signs and AR Tags that indicate off-limit and restricted areas. Failure to comply will result in legal penalties and may pose threat to life and health. Any questions on security should be directed to Cape Town Metropolitan Police Service. Medical facilities Cape Town has long been deprived of an adequate local healthcare service, however, in recent years, the local government, with the aid of several corporations, has made strides in creating modern, even state-of-the-art facilities throughout the Bowl and the metropolitan expanse. A network of mediclinics provides cheap and affordable, if limited, healthcare solutions throughout the rest of the city. The largest hospitals in the central districts are New Somerset Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Vesperdene, Christian Barnard Memorial Hospital and Booth Memorial Hospital and Cyberclinic in Castlen. In the Outer Metropolis, the largest hospitals are Valkenberg Hospital in Pineland, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Kingsbury Hospital in Mowbray, Victoria Hospital and Cyberclinic in Bergvliet, Cape Eye Hospital in Tygerberg and Lentegeur Psychiatric Center in Philippi. Only a couple of large hospitals exist in the fringe - False Bay Hospital and Pharmacy in the Southern District, Netcare Hospital for the Augmented in Blaauwberg and Stikland Hospital, Cyberclinic and Research Center in Stikland Industrial. News and Media Cape Town, being one of the largest cities in Africa and Azania, is one of the most well-connected cities in the entire continent, with metropolis-wide Matrix access and an abundance of online resources. News In the last few years, several newsnets have established themselves in the Cape Town metroplex, providing constant coverage of the most important events in Cape Town for those connected to the Matrix through commlinks and terminals. The largest of these networks are Azania Independent News Network (AINN), Cape Town Valiant Network, Cape Times News Net, Sunday Times, Inc., and Die Burger Nuus (Afrikaans only). Many other independent news networks exist throughout the metroplex, typically focusing on district-wide news. Popular local news providers include Vesperdene Whispers in Vesperdene, Tygerburger News in Tygerberg, TableTalk Network and the Dragon Daily in the Southern District. Several speciality networks are available as well, the most popular amongst them being AZ -SOLDATE for military news and information relevant for serving men and women; Veritas Security Specials, which serves as a platform for security news, contract change updates and advertisements for new products; Kentridge Infonet, which provides news of all arts events, up-and-coming artists, in addition to tutorials and free classes; Mandela-Tutu Station for Xhosa inhabitants and Umese Network for the Zulu; and several expatriate news networks focusing on coverage from home countries - The London Daily, Die Deutschländer, The India Express, Hong Kong Today and others. Arts Contemporary arts in Cape Town are as vibrant and diverse as the population. While the hot topic of the last few years has been the many conflicts within Azanian society, there are many galleries, museums and theatres throughout the central and outer metropolis that display a wide array of traditional, modern, digital, virtual and performance art, ranging from tribal woodcarvings to ballet and virutal poetry reading, even magical shows by Awakened artists. For the artistic tourist, refer to the Kentridge Infonet and the Dwaal Kunste ''newsnets. 'Music' While the visual arts may be very much alive in Cape Town, the local music scene, on the other hand, is somewhat less satisfying. Relatively few Azanian artists have traction in the media, but those willing to dig deeper can find a very active music scene beneath the surface of the mainstream, particularly through the ''OnderKaap network. Despite this, many foreign bands are quite popular, such as the german groups PANZERMENSCH and the powernoize duo Stahl und Stahl, ''the dutch metarock group ''Sea Kings '' and older classics like ''Bomb Threat, Concrete Dreams and Maria Mercurial. Not to say that Azania is devoid of musical talent. On the contrary, many who are interested in the azanian music scene are familiar with such names as Leeuwen Jagters ''from the Oranje-Vrystaat, the african rock group ''AziNoise, ''the goblin rapper ''Huis M.D. ''and several others. 'Nightlife' While Cape Town isn't always viewed as a city with a bustling nightlife, in recent years that has begun to change, primarily due to the safe and luxurious Vesperdene district, where casinos, night clubs, dance clubs, bars, hotels and just about every other imaginable nightspot mingle together into a cavalcade of bright lights, music and excitement. For those wishing to walk the edge and tread outside the safe confines of Vesperdene can travel to Baaden-Powell in the Outer Metropolis area, or, if they are really brave, they can visit the Grassy Park area and it's famous shopping district - the "busy corner". Azanian authorities, however, recommend that you take precautions when visiting those areas and keep a close watch on your belongings and, if possible, stay within range of uniformed officers. 'Sports' Sports in Azania are as diverse as just about everything else - ranging from basketball, to football, to cricket, boxing, tennis, even golf and rugby (both union and league). The most popular sport is football, with the Azanian national team being supported by almost everyone, followed closely by union rugby and cricket. The Azanian national union rugby team (the ''Azanian Springboks) has had some success in the World Cup and has won it several times since Azania's inception. They are most well-known for their long-standing rivalry with the English rugby team and have, on occasion, brawled with English players, sometimes even on the pitch. Finally, the two sports that have taken the country by storm in recent years - urban brawl and combat biking - are drawing crowds and seem to be set to become some of Azania's favourite sports. Langa Dome in Cape Town hosts the fearsome Cape Cobras. ''Cape Town also hosts their own urban brawl team - the ''Cape Buffalos -, ''who have a particular dislike for the Zulu Nation's ''Hlobane Shamans. ''DeBeers Omnitech sponsors their own minor team in urban brawl known as the ''DeBeers Blood Diamonds. Culture Cape Town is home to a diverse blend of cultures, from the long-standing Afrikaners to the native Xhosa and Zulu. As with South Africa before it, Azania is a country with many different cultures and identities that blend into and affect one another. Through strongly rooted in the ways of the old Dutch and British colonists still, Azania has allowed native cultures to flourish due to it's relatively relaxed rule. Though this is not often seen in Cape Town, in the rest of Azania, simply moving from village to village may introduce you to very different local cultures. However, what is noticable in both Azania and Cape Town in general is the tendency for Azanians to "stick to their own", preferring the company of those like them to broader social groups, such as white, afrikaner orks preferring the company of other white, afrikaner orks. It's an almost pervasive cultural note that helps understand why the country, even after so long, is still deeply divided.